Statement of Burma Action Committee

Subject: Statement of Burma Action Committee on the Participation of
Statement of Burma Action Committee on the Participation of
Slorc Delegates at the World Bank and IMF Meeting
October 2, 1996
Today, we, the members of Burma Action Committee, with firm belief in and consistant dedication to the democratic values and human
dignity, join our colleges from other organizations and activist groups
in the struggle for democracy and human rights in Burma, to protest
against the attendance of the delegates of Burmese military junta, also
known as State Law and Order Restoration Council
(Slorc), at the annual meetings of World Bank and International Monetary Fund. We Strongly denounce the presence of Slorc delegation at the
meetings, since Burmese military regime is illegitimate. Slorc came to
power in September, 1988 after the violent military crack-down on
pro-democracy movements. Thousands of innocent people including
Buddhist monks and students were gunned down in the streets of cities
and towns throughout the country. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the 1991 noble
peace laureate and leader of the National League for Democracy ( NLD ),
which won over 80 per cent of parliamentary seats in the 1990 general
election, was also put under house arrest for six years until July, 1995. Slorc annuled the results of 1990 election and prevented NLD from
taking power.
International community, led by the United States and other
western countries, has been condemning Slorc?s repressive policies and
human rights abuses. Ongoing patterns of egregious human rights
violations against its own people by the military regime is undeniable.
Currently, Slorc is intensifying its waves of crack-down on NLD and accusing Daw Aung San Suu Kyi of what they call political crimes, because NLD planned to hold All Burma Congress of the party with about 600 people
from 27 to 29 September. Burmese military junta launched a preemptive
strike to prevent the planned NLD congress from going into action. For
the first time since her release from six years of house arrest, Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi has been barred from making her regular weekend
address. Slorc closed off access to her house and detained many of her
supporters. According to NLD, around 500 of its activists and supporters have been arrested. There is also a growing threat of the possible
charges against Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, whose security is a great concern
of the international community.
Amnesty International, the London based human rights group, said
the current arrests of opposition members is the largest wave of
repression in Burma since 1991. Foreign journalists in Rangoon, the
capital of Burma, were also held at a hotel for two hours and at least
one room was searched and all videotapes are confiscated. The
photographers are not allowed to approach to the residence of Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi and take pictures. Slorc thwarted a plan for a similar NLD
convention in May by arresting more than 260 NLD members before they
could reach the venue.
WHEREAS Slorc is continuing its repressions and human rights
abuses and rejects the idea of peaceful political settlement in Burma,
it shall be ejected from the meetings of World Bank and International Monetary Fund. International financial organizations shall continue its
blockade of loans to Slorc on the ground that Burmese military regime is
illegal. We strongly denounce Slorc?s participation at the annual
meetings of World Bank and IMF.
Burma Action Committee
P.O.Box 91
Rockville, MD 20851
Email: Burma-Action@xxxxxxxx